Table 1 Description of NZ general practice funding models

General practices in NZ

NZ general practices operate using a mixed model of publicly and privately funded health care; however, this funding arrangement contributes to inequities [26]. Individuals formally enrol with a specific general practice and generally each time they see a staff member (typically general practitioners (GPs) and primary care nurses, but increasingly other health support workers), they make a co-payment. Practices receive government capitation funding which accounts for population demographics with funding-payments made according to the number of people enrolled and not the number of times a provider sees each patient. Practices serving populations in which at least 50% are classified as high needs (e.g. Māori, Pacific or lower socioeconomic) may choose to operate as Very Low-cost Access (VLCA) practices. In return for additional government funding these practices provide free services for children 13 years or younger and, and maximum co-payments for all other age groups are set at low levels [26]. (For example, see fee comparisons in Table 3.) This is intended to support practices to develop service delivery models that are most suited to the populations they serve and reduce health inequities